Quest 2: A fair share

How much water does one person need?

You think you’re pretty solid, but seven tenths of your body weight is water. If
you lose one per cent of that water, you feel thirsty. Lose 10 per cent or
more, and you risk death. Humans can only survive three days without water. We
need to drink two to five litres of water per day to survive, depending on the
climate and our level of activity. But not everyone has the water they need.

50
litres
It takes a recommended 50 litres per day to meet one person’s basic water
needs.

95
litres
Half the world’s population uses 95 litres per person per day.

More
than 200 litres
People in industrialised countries like New Zealand use more than 200 litres
per person per day.

Less
than 10 litres
People in water-stressed countries like Niger use less than 10 litres per
person per day.

Basic water needs

In New Zealand the average person uses 227 litres:

Toilet

86 litres per day

Bathing & Hygiene

68 litres per day

Laundry

36 litres per day

Kitchen

32 litres per day

Housekeeping

5 litres per day

More than 70% of this is used in the bathroom. More than 20% is used in the
kitchen and laundry.

Find out more

Answer four questions to find out how much water you use
Select Millenium Development Goal 7